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This war, so formidable to the Romans (although
ridiculous and contemptible in the beginning, considered as the work of
gladiators), had now lasted three years. When the election of new
prætors came on, fear fell upon all, and nobody offered himself as
a candidate until Licinius Crassus, a man distinguished among the Romans for
birth and wealth, assumed the prætorship and marched against
Spartacus with six new legions. When he arrived at his destination he
received also the two legions of the consuls, whom he decimated by lot for
their bad conduct in several battles. Some say that Crassus, too, having
engaged in battle with his whole army, and having been defeated, decimated
the whole army and was not deterred by their numbers, but destroyed about
4000 of them. Whichever way it was, he demonstrated to them that he was more
dangerous to them than the enemy. Presently he overcame 10,000 of the
Spartacans, who were encamped somewhere in a detached position, and killed
two-thirds of them. He then marched boldly against Spartacus himself,
vanquished him in a brilliant engagement, and pursued his fleeing forces to
the sea, where they tried to pass over to Sicily. He overtook them and
enclosed them with a line of circumvallation consisting of ditch, wall, and
paling.